This is the first of our new series, "The Old Schoolhouses of Decatur County." Our inspiration for this series came from an old book picked up at an antique shop about the history of schools in Decatur County from 1820 - 1978. It was an incredible project by the Rural Couples Club to celebrate the Bicentennial Year of the U.S.A. (1776-1976) Added inspiration for our geocaching series comes from one of the Hoosierdogs being a teacher in the Greensburg Schools. The inspiration for the series name comes from the poem, "The Old Schoolhouse" by John Greenleaf Whittier.
Still sits the schoolhouse by the road,
A ragged beggar sunning;
Around it still the sumacs grow,
And blackberry vines are running.
Within, the master's desk is seen,
Deep scarred by raps official;
The warping floor, the battered seats.
The jack-knife's carved initial;
The charcoal frescoes on its wall;
It's door's worn sill, betraying
The feet that creeping slow to school
Went storming out to playing!
Of all of our Decatur County old schoolhouse searches, this find is the most amazing! Horace School served both Clay and Sandcreek Township. It was also known as School # 15. The tiny community of Horace was also known as Wyncoop. Clay Township was one of the first settled in Decatur County. John Fugit, who was the first settler in Fugit a Township, moved from Fugit to Clay. Clay Township, at one time, had 15 one or two room schools.